Chapter 15 Demotion

The news of Consort Jia’s premature labor arrived just as the ladies of the palace had retired for the night. Upon hearing that His Majesty and the Empress were both at Qixiang Palace, they dared not delay. Hastily boarding their sedan chairs, each was lost in their own thoughts along the way.

The Forbidden City was usually silent at night, but tonight was different. The palace corridors were brightly lit with candles. Consort Xian and Consort Chun happened to meet along the way. After exchanging polite greetings, they hurried to Qixiang Palace without further delay.

Consort Jia was only eight months into her pregnancy—how could she be going into labor so early?

The news of the Fourth Prince’s illness had been suppressed by Qianlong, so they hadn’t heard any rumors. Entering the main hall quietly, they found the Emperor and the Empress seated on either side, both looking weary—especially the Emperor, whose stern expression was particularly intimidating…

Consort Chun glanced up but quickly averted her eyes, not daring to look further.

The Empress spoke gently, “You’ve arrived. Please, take a seat.”

After expressing their gratitude, Consort Xian couldn’t help but ask softly, “What happened? How did Consort Jia go into labor so early?”

Consort Yu and Consort Yi, Huang Shi, had arrived earlier and were seated in the farthest corner, listening quietly to the conversation. Behind the curtains, Consort Jia’s cries of pain could be heard, while palace servants bustled about, filling the air with tension.

Imperial Physician Li had reported that after Yongcheng was exposed to cold water, Consort Jia fainted and began bleeding heavily. Her wet nurse was terrified, and the Empress immediately ordered the servants to prepare for childbirth, moving her to the inner chamber. Fortunately, the midwives had already been prepared, and with the Empress overseeing everything, Qixiang Palace avoided descending into chaos.

For a healthy child to suddenly develop a fever—it was clear who was behind it. No servant would dare commit such an act of defiance against their master.

It was likely Consort Jia’s own doing, an attempt to gain more of the Emperor’s pity for herself and her son.

Qianlong was furious and ordered Wu Shulai to send Consort Jia’s personal attendants to the Cautious Punishment Department. One timid senior maid, overwhelmed with fear, knelt on the ground and confessed everything between sobs.

Consort Jia hadn’t gone so far as to be utterly heartless—she had only wiped the Fourth Prince’s body with a cold towel, hoping to slow his recovery. Afterward, she had busied herself with dressing up to welcome His Majesty, never expecting the Fourth Prince’s fever to spike so severely.

The Empress was at a loss for words.

After a long silence, Qianlong suppressed his rage and sighed to the Empress, “If not for you, Yongcheng would have suffered unjustly.”

Once Imperial Physician Li revealed the truth, Yongcong was taken back to the Palace of Eternal Spring by Yu Momo. Qianlong didn’t want the sordid affairs of Qixiang Palace to taint Yongcong’s innocence, even though he understood nothing of what was happening.

But then Consort Jia suddenly fainted, leaving him and the Empress to deal with the mess.

Imperial Physician Li accompanied Yongcheng to the Prince’s Residence. Having vented his anger, Qianlong now felt an emptiness in his arms—he missed the soft, warm presence of Yongcong.

This longing showed on his weary face, and the Empress gently advised, “Your Majesty has court early tomorrow. I will oversee things here—please return to the Hall of Mental Cultivation and rest.”

Qianlong had initially wanted to leave in anger, but he had stayed out of respect for the Empress. Now, with her urging, he patted her hand and said, “Then I shall take my leave.”

The Empress responded softly, “Very well.”

Speaking of which, it was currently the eleventh year of Qianlong’s reign, with the positions of the four consorts and six concubines largely vacant, leaving only the two high-ranking consorts occupying the top positions. Only four or five were qualified to come to Qixiang Palace. Shu Pin was still copying Buddhist scriptures, so the concubines who hurried over witnessed firsthand the interaction between the Emperor and the Empress.

Consort Yi, Huang Shi, had been an Imperial Concubine since the Residence Before Ascension. Due to her long years of service, she was granted the rank of concubine despite having no children. She dreamed daily of gaining imperial favor, and seeing this scene, one could only imagine the bitterness in her heart.

She could only comfort herself inwardly—the Empress was different from her…

Consort Xian’s lips curled slightly downward, her napkin clenched tightly for a moment. Soon, however, they had no time to dwell on their envy—

Qianlong issued an oral decree: “Consort Jia has failed in propriety and virtue. From today onward, she is demoted to Consort Jia.”

After a pause, he added, “The newborn prince or imperial concubine shall be entrusted to Consort Yi for upbringing.”

Consort Yi was stunned by this unexpected blessing.

The others were shocked—what had Consort Jia done to anger the Emperor?! She was still in labor inside, yet she had already fallen from consort to concubine?

Not to mention her prematurely born child, just handed over to Consort Yi…

Though the child was born at eight months, whether it would survive was still uncertain. But even if weak, it was still His Majesty’s child!

Consort Yi, who had earlier seemed indifferent, now grew nervous. Eavesdropping on the sounds from inside, she prayed fervently—let it be a healthy child, whether a prince or an imperial concubine…

The Empress took a slow sip of tea. The tea had gone cold, and her thoughts drifted far away.

Yongcong had slept for a long time before coming to Qixiang Palace—was he asleep now? Or was he wide awake, playing his little turtle game?

Her mind wandered to Yu Momo’s report—

“Master Fu Heng said that Your Majesty instructed him to keep an eye on the Jin family, and indeed, there was movement. Consort Jia’s elder brother sent people south, seemingly searching for some rare medicinal herbs…”

“What kind of herbs?”

“Tonics. The strange thing is, he also sought out several smallpox patients, claiming to inoculate them with cowpox to pray for blessings for the little prince in Consort Jia’s womb.”

Though cowpox vaccination had been invented, widespread adoption was still far off, and smallpox had not yet been eradicated. If a child under three contracted it, survival was far from guaranteed.

Suddenly, the Empress understood Consort Jia’s scheme.

She closed her eyes briefly, scenes from her past life flashing before her, before settling into icy calm.

In Qixiang Palace, screams echoed intermittently. The Empress gently skimmed the cold tea’s surface, a gentle smile playing on her lips.

Consort Chun glanced at her swiftly before lowering her head again.

“Your Majesty, this isn’t the way to the Hall of Mental Cultivation…” Wu Shulai forced a smile. “Her Majesty said it’s late, and you should return to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to rest.”

“Are you, a lowly servant, daring to dictate where I go?” Qianlong scoffed. “I’m going to the Palace of Eternal Spring to see if my Seventh Prince is asleep.”

Wu Shulai grumbled inwardly—it was so late, the Seventh Prince must have been long asleep.

Still, he sighed in relief. Consort Jia—no, Consort Jia—had truly courted disaster. Watching from the sidelines had left him terrified, fearing His Majesty might burst a blood vessel in anger. If things went awry after leaving Qixiang Palace, it would be the servants who suffered!

He couldn’t help but marvel—being demoted while in labor, Consort Jia was truly the first in history.

Thankfully, there was Her Majesty the Empress and the Seventh Prince—otherwise, his poor heart wouldn’t be able to take it!

In the Palace of Eternal Spring, Yongcong truly hadn’t fallen asleep yet.

The grand drama that had just unfolded had genuinely shaken his little heart.

Smacking his lips and struggling for a while, he wriggled and squirmed until he finally rolled over, lying face down on the soft bedding with his limbs spread out in the shape of a large character for his Calligraphy Practice.

Moshu had been watching over him nearby and was about to step forward to prevent the bedding from smothering the Seventh Prince when Wu Shulai called out to stop her. Turning her head, she gasped in surprise, “…Greetings to His Majesty.”

Qianlong raised his hand with a smile, “Let me.”

Author’s note: Qianlong: When angry, I’ll ruffle Yongcong’s precious head!

Yongcong: ?